My tortoise wants to hibernate. Is it safe or should I keep him awake?

Do not hibernate her this year. Keep her enclosure temperature between 20 C and 27 C. Provide a basking area of about 32 C with UVB lighting. Provide food and vitamin/mineral supplementation as well as several baths weekly.

A small bit of food likely won't cause any issues, just don't offer any more food for the next two weeks. Monitor for defecation so you know he's digested and passed any food. Make sure Flash remains well hydrated. An exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles prior to brumation would be recommended to confirm Flash is healthy enough for his "nap". Once he begins brumating, monitor him monthly for weight loss (>1% body weight), nasal discharge or urination. If you notice any of these issues or if he is too active in his burrow or box, consider having him examined and brought out of brumation.

It sounds like she may be trying to hibernate. However, there is also a possibility that she is sick. I would encourage you to have her evaluated by a veterinarian. If they feel she is healthy then you may want to hibernate her in your garage over the winter. A large, sand filled bucket with hay on the top usually works well. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

No, please keep your turtle in an appropriate environment with proper water, docking area, basking light, UVB light, thermometer in water and under basking light, and feed mix of fresh vegetables, turtle food pellets, and live prey items. Do not attempt to “hibernate” a turtle in a blanket. This will most likely end up causing illness and maybe death.

If kept outdoors, they may hibernate from June to September. A tortoise may burrow into the substrate and remain inactive during this time. It is not recommended to hibernate juveniles, sick tortoises or underweight tortoises. If Franklin is kept indoors at constant temperature or will not be used for breeding purposes, he does not need to hibernate.

Thanks for reaching out about Oj. To prevent hibernation, you must keep the environmental temperature at the preferred optimal temperature zone range of 75-85 degrees. If allowed to cool but not hibernate, you are just shutting off the immune, digestion and other symptoms, allowing bacterial or parasitic diseases to proliferate unhindered. During this period of non-hibernation, Oj should continue to eat and be active, otherwise something is not correct. Photoperiod and exposure to UV radiation is important also. Decreased photoperiod and UV exposure stimulates hibernation patterns, so light periods and UV should be kept higher (like summer) to prevent hibernation. Good Luck.

He could be going into hibernation or he could be getting ill. It is hard to say just based on your description. His symptoms are very vague. I suggest you refer to this article on husbandry and be sure you are doing everything absolutely 100% correct for him - from diet and lighting to temperature and housing. If everything is right, then I suggest you get him to a reptile veterinarian for an exam. ( https://www.horsefieldtortoise.co.uk/ )